SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Interstat) — A surging Longwood women’s basketball team looks to rebound from a narrow midweek defeat when it visits the G.B. Hodge Center to face South Carolina Upstate in a Big South Conference matchup Saturday. The Lancers (18-8) enter the contest having won five of their last seven games, though they are coming off a 53-51 home loss to Gardner-Webb on Wednesday. Guard Malea Brown, a key player for Longwood, scored 15 points in that defeat. She has been a consistent force, averaging 13.1 points per game over her last seven contests. Brown tallied 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in Longwood’s 74-50 victory over these same Spartans on Jan. 23. South Carolina Upstate (9-18) has shown recent signs of life, winning three of its last five games, including a 57-52 road win at Radford on Wednesday. The Spartans are led by guard Cassie Gallagher, who is averaging 16.4 points over her last five outings. She scored 10 points in the January loss at Longwood. Despite their disparate records, the Spartans have found a rhythm at home in conference play, winning three of their last four at the Hodge Center. They will need that home-court advantage to counter a Longwood squad that has proven potent on offense, scoring 75 or more points in four of its last seven games. The Lancers will aim to tighten their defense after the two-point loss to Gardner-Webb and complete a regular-season sweep of the Spartans. For Upstate, containing Brown and finding consistent scoring beyond Gallagher will be critical to pulling an upset and continuing their improved late-season form. Tipoff is set for Saturday afternoon in Spartanburg.